


Our Roommate Shuts Us Out

by Akira_of_the_Twilight



Series: My Roommate is a Demon (and There is Going to be Trouble) [19]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Angst and Feels, Bad Parenting, Clint Barton Feels, Clint Needs a Hug, Demon Tony Stark, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Polyamory, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protectiveness, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-10-21 00:23:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10673838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akira_of_the_Twilight/pseuds/Akira_of_the_Twilight
Summary: It was a happy morning. Sure Bucky wasn't feeling well and Steve couldn't find his tie, but as mornings went it was a good one.Then the news story about Howard Stark aired.Everything fell into chaos after that.





	1. Chapter 1

“Has anyone seen my blue tie?” Steve hollered from the bedroom. He’d spent fifteen minutes searching for the damn thing. He’d even looked under the bed where smaller pieces of clothing were known to get lost. While he had a found a few beloved boxers that had disappeared as well as the other halves to pairs of socks that had long since been thrown away, he had not found his tie.

“Are we talking about the solid blue one or the one with shades of blue?” Clint shouted back, his voice muffled by the bagel he’d stuffed in his mouth as he’d peered down the hall in answer.

“It’s too early for this,” Bucky grumbled from somewhere in the kitchen.

“Will you three quiet down? Some of us like to watch the news in the morning,” Tony shouted back.

Clint snorted, one hand flying to his hip as he craned his head around to look at Tony. “You’re only watching the news because you heard your favorite author will be on this morning.”

“They are not my favorite author. They are one of many,” Tony said pointedly.

Steve shook his head. “Never mind. I’ll just wear the green tie.”

“But blue looks better with your eyes,” Tony shouted.

Steve smiled, pleased to receive the indirect compliment from his boyfriend. He returned to the bedroom and sifted through the drawers of his dresser until he found his green tie. As he looped the satin fabric around his neck, he overheard Bucky mumble something about calling in sick to work.

Concern churned inside Steve. As he finished putting his tie in order he wandered into the living room where Tony was curled up at one end of the couch with Hello Kitty pajama bottoms and a Superman T-shirt that hung slightly off his shoulders. A hickey that Steve had left there a couple of days ago marked the juncture of Tony’s neck and shoulders. At the other end of the couch--and taking up two-thirds of the couch--was Bucky. He was his usual disheveled self in the morning, but he had taken to wrapping the throw blanket around himself. He looked like a grumpy human burrito.

Steve rested the back of his hand on Bucky’s forehead. “You okay?”

Bucky batted Steve’s hand away. “Clint already checked. I’m fine. I’m just having one of those days when you wake up and feel like crap.”

Clint strolled in from the kitchen with a plate of eggs and handed it Bucky. “Have something other than coffee, and if you still feel like shit call in sick.”

Steve nodded in agreement.

Tony shushed the trio as the TV switched back from a commercial to whatever news morning show Tony was invested in.

“Breaking News this morning from one of the richest tech moguls out there. It was just announced that the Stark family is expecting a child,” The newscaster started, and Tony sat up ramrod straight.

A picture of Howard Stark smiling in a sports car with his wife appeared in a box to the right of the newscaster's head.

“....this will be Howard and Lorraine Stark’s first child-”

“I didn’t think you were that interested in celebrity gossip,” Clint said.

Clint’s comment drew Steve’s attention back to his demon boyfriend. Tony’s eyes were glued on the screen. His jaw was clenched, and his fingers dug into the arm of the couch like he was trapped in a car with someone who had just gotten their learner’s permit five minutes ago.

“Are you okay?” Steve touched the hand Tony was all but clawing up the couch with.

Tony snatched his hand away as if Steve were some disease. “I’m fine, just…” Tony wouldn’t rip his gaze away from the television.

Steve and Clint’s full attention locked on Tony, while Bucky’s gaze lazily drifted between the TV and Tony. Bucky’s brow wrinkled in concentration.

The newscaster reported about Howard Stark’s past as well as his previous loves then went on to talk about speculations about when a baby shower would be held and who would be invited to the big party, all the while Tony looked like he was going to vomit.

The temptation to check Tony’s temperature wrestled with Steve’s desire to give Tony his space.

Steve was so focused on Tony and his discomfort, he missed the way Clint’s gaze hardened with resolve and was taken by surprise when Clint kneeled down in front of Tony and squeezed Tony’s knee. “Hey, Tony,-”

Tony stood up and took three large strides away from the couch. “I’m going for a walk.”

Steve’s gut churned. “Tony, what’s wrong? Don’t you want to watch your interview?”

Tony shook his head and marched straight for the door, not caring that he was still in his pajamas.

Steve bit the inside of his cheek. He glanced over at Clint and Bucky. Bucky was watching the situation, but whatever his opinion was on the matter, he wasn’t letting it show. Clint however was looking like he wanted to give chase after Tony.

Steve cussed under his breath and followed Tony. “Let me talk to him.” Tony was his boyfriend after all. If anyone should talk to him, it should be Steve.

Clint shouted something behind Steve and Steve hurried out of the apartment and jogged up to Tony’s retreating figure.

“Tony, stop for a second, please.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Steve’s eyes began to roll, but he managed to stop himself from doing so. “That’s pretty obvious, Tony, but can you--damn it, Tony. Just stop walking for a moment so I can get my thoughts together.”

Tony stopped. He crossed his arms over his chest. He canted his head and raised his eyebrow in a challenging manner.

Steve took a deep breath to calm his frazzled nerves. “I don’t want to force you to talk about what happened in there.”

“Then don’t.”

“But you went from zero to sixty in there. Clint and I are worried.”

“So you want me to tell you what triggered my reaction in there just for your peace of mind?” Tony raised his head high, feigning haughtiness. “That’s really rich, Steve.”

Steve’s brain was running miles in a minute. It was processing his feelings of hurt and frustration as well as Tony’s accusation. “You’re gaslighting me, Tony.”

“Did you not just say that the reason you are out here is because you’re worried about me?”

“Yes.”

“So then you came out here to talk to me and make yourself feel better.”

Steve’s hands fisted at his sides. “I came out here, because I know something is bothering you, and I want to help you. You know how I feel about you; you know that I care about you, and you know Clint does too. Even if you don’t want to tell us why you’re upset, let us help. It doesn’t have to be anything big. You could just ask us to buy you a coffee or not watch TV for the rest of the day. Just let us know what we can do to make you feel better.”

Tony grimaced and looked away from Steve.

Steve took a deep breath and hardened himself for the possibility of rejection. He then reached out and touched Tony’s hand.

Tony jerked away. The movement was not as violent as it had been the first time Steve tried to offer Tony physical comfort. However, the rejection, even after he had brace himself for it, still stung.

“I told you, Steve. I’m a demon. Lov-” Tony fumbled “-caring for me isn’t easy.”

“You’re not even letting me try.”

The arms that Tony had folded across his chest  shifted, and suddenly Tony looked more like he was hugging himself than trying to keep people away. “You’re right, which is why you should go to work and forget about this.”

It felt like Tony had knocked the air right out of Steve. “By ‘this’ do you mean what just happened or do you mean our relationship?”

Tony didn’t say anything.

Steve growled back in his throat. “Damn it. I really want to kiss you right now.”

Tony startled. “Why would you want to do that?”

“Because sometimes dramatics are the only why to get through that thick skull of yours, Tony. I like you, Tony, and I’m not going to break up with you just because you're being a piece of shit right now. So please, unless you _want_ to break up with me, don’t say stupid stuff like that ever again.”

Tony didn’t say anything for a moment. When he finally spoke he huffed and continued to not meet Steve’s eyes. “I think you just like being dramatic.”

Steve rolled his eyes. He took a step toward Tony. “I’ll let Clint know not to ask you about what happened, and all of us will just pretend this morning didn’t happen. May I kiss you on the cheek before I go back in there though?”

Tony nodded and tapped his cheek right where he wanted Steve to kiss him.

Steve smiled weakly. He was still hurt and frustrated by Tony, but if Tony was allowing Steve to kiss him, then Steve would taking it as a sign that some part of Tony still wanted him as boyfriend and knew that Steve was on his side.

Steve pecked Tony on the cheek. He was delighted when Tony sighed and relaxed into the kiss.

* * *

Clint’s stomach felt like a bounce house filled with twenty screaming, hyperactive kids jumping around inside. He glanced over at the small circular table off in the corner of bistro.

Tony was reading a newspaper with his sunglasses on and inside.

 _Is he trying to look like a douchebag_? Clint silently wondered to himself.

Natasha set down a small, green, plastic basket with their smoked-ham sandwich inside. “Checking out mister sunglasses over there?” Natasha nodded at Tony, unaware of who Tony was in relation to Clint. She sipped for her large cup of coffee then passed the cup to Clint.

“Nat, I am a loyal man, you should know I would never stray.” Clint took the coffee, smiling into the rim as he drank then set the cup down between them.

Natasha’s eyes twinkled. She tore off a corner of the sandwich. “Looking isn’t straying. Although, for you it might be. Last I checked, Steve and Bucky were two very handsome men.”

“Especially Bucky, right?” Clint teased.

Natasha rolled her eyes. She lightly kicked Clint under the table. “May I remind you that you’re currently dating Bucky, and it would be hypocritical of you to tease me just because I was attracted to him once.”

“Aw, you’re just sore, because when you flirted with Bucky, he looked like you were a freight train coming right at him.”

“You mean, after I gave up on subtle flirting and all but threw myself at him.” Natasha scrunched up her face. “Good times,” she said dryly.

“The best.” Clint snickered.

“Enough about the past, tell me more about this new roommate you three have. You’re texts and messages about him don’t seem to do him justice. Unless you want to rant about the Historical Center reevaluating your job requirements.”

Clint wrinkled his nose. “Tempting, but no thanks.”

“About your job or about Tony?”

Clint sighed as he waffled between answers. He hadn’t seen Natasha in what felt like months. He missed her, and he didn’t want to ruin their reunion by thinking about Tony right now. It was bad enough that Tony was just a few steps away and indirectly reminding Clint of their morning drama.

He just wanted Tony to open up to him. He knew Tony had the right to privacy, but after spending everyday together for months now he felt like he had earned Tony’s trust. It hurt to know that he hadn’t, especially when he’d put so much trust in Tony.

“Both,” Clint answered.

Natasha touched Clint’s hand and squeezed. “This is why we’re going to the shooting range after lunch. Shooting things always makes your day better.”

Clint laughed and returned the hand squeeze. “This is why you’re my soul mate and I love you.”

They finished their shared sandwich and coffee quickly. Natasha talked about her own issues at work as well as a recent string of bad dates she’s had. Natasha griped and Clint offered his thoughts in between laughs. By the time they rose up to hop in the car and drive over to the shooting range, Clint had almost forgotten about Tony. He was reminded of his roommate and friend when his phone pinged with a text.

Clint apologized to Natasha for the interruption and checked his texts.

_Heading back to apartment. You should be good for 2 hours._

Clint blinked and looked around the bistro.

Tony had vanished.

A mixture of disappointment and relief danced in Clint’s chest.

He dimmed his phone, pocketed it, and followed Natasha to the car.

* * *

Bucky woke to the sweet smell of cupcakes baking. He lifted his head off the pillow and sniffed. Clint and Steve’s scents tickled his nostrils as well as the delicious aroma of baked goods in the kitchen. He flopped his head onto Clint’s pillow and hugged Steve’s. He breathed in their calming scents for a bit. He basked in the mixture of something woodsy combined with honey and milk then pushed himself up and out of bed.

He no longer felt like shit. Still tired, but he didn’t feel like he was the gum on the bottom of someone’s shoe or like he’d gone a few rounds against Muhammad Ali.

Bucky stretched his arms above his head and arched his back, bending until he felt a glorious crack in his back. A pleasure-filled groan slipped through his lips.

He strolled out of his room and to the kitchen.

Tony was crumpled in the corner of the kitchen with he head clutched between his hands and a pink apron draped around him.

Bucky’s throat dried and his heart gave a hard thud. A cursory scan of the kitchen revealed that Tony had made two dozen cupcakes and another two dozen were cooking in the oven. The kitchen was also the biggest mess Bucky had seen it in months. It looked like Tony had made several batches of batter but had kept spilling them on the counter or floor. Bowls and spoons were everywhere, and measuring cups were in the most random of places.

Taking a deep breath, Bucky entered the kitchen and sat down next to Tony. He drew his legs into his chest and rested his arms on his knees.

Bucky didn’t say anything.

“Sorry,” the word came out muffled from behind Tony’s hands. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I don’t think you did. Lookin’ around, I slept through most of the action it seems.”

Tony chuckled bitterly. “You did.”

Bucky nodded.

Time passed and neither said anything to the other.

Tony shifted. He lowered his hands from his face and placed them on his knees. He refused to look at Bucky though. “So you’re not going to ask what I’m doing here?”

“Making cupcakes, obviously.”

Tony snorted. A drop of water formed in the corner of Tony’s eyes and Tony quickly wiped it away. “On the floor.” Tony gestured at the ground.

Bucky made a point of scooching his butt. “Feels nice and cool. You should lie down on it. Might realign your back if you're having back issues, which you will if you keeping sitting hunched like that.”

“Yes, mom.”

“Damn right.”

Another snort erupted from Tony and he chuckled. “You’re ridiculous.”

“So I’ve been told.”

Tony shifted again so that he was hugging his legs to himself. “You’re really not going to ask?”

“No, unless the reason your brooding on the floor has something to do with Steve or Clint, or could put them in danger.”

Tony huffed. “Jeez, you really are protective. It’s like you have a one track mind.” Tony smiled softly. “I like it.”

Bucky grunted. “Steve can be pretty protective too, if you give him a chance.” Bucky looked pointedly at Tony.

Tony sighed and hung his head. “Yeah, I know. I was a real asshole this morning.”

“You were.”

Tony scowled and elbowed Bucky in the side. “I’m on the floor, on the brink of tears, and you don’t even have the common decency to tell me a white lie.”

Bucky smirked and ribbed Tony back. “Yeah, and that’s one of the other reasons you like me, remember? I don’t let you get away with shit.”

“And you’re pretty.”

“That’s redundant. Everybody knows that.”

Tony snickered. His head fell on Bucky’s shoulder and lay there.

“You know, at some point you’re going to have to get up and take those cupcakes out of the oven.”

Tony nodded. He ran his hand through his hair, causing a cloud flour to puff out the strands. “I’m going to have to clean up too. It won’t be long before I get yanked back to Clint, and not going to lie, getting yanked is a lot more painful now. His new tattoo tries to fight the magic keeping us tied together. It never wins, but it’s still enough to cause a headache and give me a few aches and pains.”

“Does Clint know?”

“I haven’t told him, but I think he suspects. I haven’t been yanked to Clint’s side that much, but the last couple of times I’ve had a few expletives to say upon arrival.”

Bucky made a sound of understanding. He dropped his shoulder from under Tony and pushed himself off the ground. He grabbed an oven mitt off the counter and proceeded to take the cupcakes out of the oven. As he set the trays down on the stove to cool, Tony spoke up.

“Do you think it’s possible for demons to have souls?” Tony asked.

“I have no idea how any of this supernatural crap works, Tony. For all I know, every demon has a soul. I mean…” Bucky ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “...all the stories are different. Some say demons are corrupt souls, and others say demons have no soul at all, but then what the hell are they, because some those same stories that say they have no soul also say demons don’t have physical bodies. So yeah, I’m pretty much fuckin’ confused here, Tones. I would just assume you don’t have a soul since you guys are supposed to be pure evil or something.”

Bucky made a vague gesture with his hand. “Plus, you say demons collect souls, so I don’t see why demons would collect souls when they all possess one.”

Tony nodded. “All good points.”

“Did you buy any frosting for these things?” Bucky rooted around it the cupboards for a jar of frosting. “Don’t tell me you were going to try to make it yourself. With your time restrictions that is just too much.”

“There are actually a number of ways to become a demon, which is why there are so many stories. I had my soul ripped right out of me. My body and mind were then tossed to one of the many levels of Hell where I spent many years tortured until I was transformed into a demon.”

Bucky feigned searching through the cupboards. He kept his movements quiet and slow, so as to pay Tony as much attention as possible without directly focusing on the man. Tony was too likely to clam up if he felt the conversation was becoming too serious, and the best way Bucky could fake casual was to act like he was only half-listening to Tony.

“I met Tiberius shortly after. He’d had a similar experience too. That’s how we became frenemies.” Tony chuckled.

“We rose through the ranks together. I was curious though. I wanted to know what it was like to have a soul.”

Tony stopped talking.

Bucky’s hand holding the cupboard door open shook. Carefully, he closed the door and turned to Tony, ignoring his own mental warnings about doing so. “You were ‘curious?’”

Tony smiled. “Of course. Isn’t everyone?”

“Maybe if you never had a soul, but you said you had.”

“I did.”

“But if you had possessed a soul, but didn’t know what it was like to have had one then…” Bucky clenched his fist. “Either you’re telling me you got one serious case of amnesia or you were too young to remember what it was like to have a soul when you lost yours.”

Tony toyed with hem of his pants. “Bucky, what is another common motif in demon stories? Besides selling your soul, what else can you give to a demon?” Tony grinned wickedly. “Here’s a clue, the fae will accept such an offering as well, and in fact, are even more well known for this particular deal. That’s assuming they don’t just take it from you.”

The bottom dropped out of Bucky’s stomach at the implication. “How old were you?”

“I was still fetus when the deal was made. It was one of the fun facts my tormentors liked to remind me of back in the day. My father gave me up before I’d even taken my first breath of air.”

“How? How could he do that?”

Tony shrugged. “I’m assuming you mean morally how could he, but the technical answer is, until a child leaves its bearer’s body, that child belongs completely and utterly to its parents, ergo, a parent can barter the child’s soul away. My father didn’t want what remained left behind though, so he bartered away the whole thing.”

Bucky swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. A question was at the tip of his tongue, but he was afraid to ask it. “So does hearing about babies trigger you or…” he trailed off.

Tony looked sharply at Bucky. He held his gaze for a long moment, then peeled it away. “I don’t want to talk any more.”

Bucky nodded. His stomach churned like the ocean during a storm. If he felt this sick, he couldn’t imagine what Tony was going through.

“Did you even take your shower today?” Bucky made a show of wrinkling his nose. “You smell like Steve’s gym bag from high school.”

“Excuse you. I smell like Spring and cupcakes.”

“Sure, just keep telling yourself that.” Bucky grabbed a dishtowel off the rack and hurled it at Tony. “Now either clean up the kitchen or yourself. Either way, something is getting cleaned around here.”

“Fine, fine.” Tony stood up. He wrapped the towel around his neck and headed out of the kitchen, but paused at the threshold. “Thanks. For listening.”

“You’re welcome. It was a pain in the ass.”

Tony snorted. “Sure. Just don’t go telling everyone my secrets.”

“Just don’t ever give me a reason to.”

Tony frowned at Bucky.

Bucky sighed. “I’m not going to tell, Tony, just so long as keeping your secret won’t harm anyone beyond just being butthurt about not being told.”

Tony nodded. “Thanks.”

Bucky waved Tony away. “Yeah, yeah. Now go bathe already. My nose can’t take your stench anymore.”

Tony laughed and made one last remark before disappearing into the bathroom.

Once Tony was gone, Bucky took a deep breath and let the new information wash over him.

This changed everything.


	2. Chapter 2

Clint ignored the ache in his chest as he waited for Natasha to finish up in the bathroom so they could head off on their next adventure before they’d have to part ways. Clips of memories from that morning drifted in and out of Clint’s head, and he wished Natasha would hurry up. It was easier not to think about Tony when she was around to distract him. He took a deep breath and leaned against Natasha’s car.

It couldn’t be much longer, right? It wasn’t like she needed to apply make up or-

A muffled “Fuck! Damn it!” came from behind Clint.

Clint startled and whirled, but he didn’t see anyone who looked like they were the source of the expletives. That was until he glanced downward just a tad and saw a very naked and wet Tony sitting in the back of Natasha’s car.

Panic lanced Clint’s chest. His hand dove into his jeans' pockets and yanked out his cell phone to check the time. His heart lurched at the undeniable proof that two hours had passed and now he was stuck with Tony.

Tony, who was naked in Natasha’s car. The same Natasha who was coming out from the shooting range and strolling up to Clint.

Clint side-stepped so he blocked Tony from Natasha’s view.

Natasha quirked an eyebrow at the movement. She paused in her steps as she waited for a cluster of passersby to move out of her path.

Clint used the extra seconds to think of a plan.

Sadly, nothing he came up with was any good.

“Something wrong?” Natasha asked as the group passed. She sashayed up to the car. “You’re looking a little stiff?”

Clint shook his head and smiled. “Uh...hey, isn’t there a Goodwill or some clothing shop nearby? Let’s go there next.”

“Sure.” Natasha pulled out her car keys from her pocket and headed for the driver side. “Let’s-”

“No!” Clint seized Natasha by the elbow, and regretted it instantly. Natasha’s eyes narrowed in suspicion and flicked from Clint to her car.

“What are you hiding, Clint?”

“Uh?”

A knock came from the backseat window.

Clint cringed.

Natasha’s eyebrows shot up her forehead. She nudged Clint out of her way and bent down to peek into the back seat.

Tony grinned and waved at Natasha through the window.

He was still naked.

Natasha straightened and stared at Clint.

“Umm?” Clint gestured helplessly at Tony. “Meet my roommate?”

Natasha continued to stare.

Clint shifted nervously.

Natasha’s gaze drifted back to Tony then snapped to Clint. “I’m not sure what I want to ask first: Why is he in my car? Why is he naked? Why is he naked in my car? Also, am I wrong, or is he not the guy from the bistro who you had been checking out?”

Clint grimaced. “Can we buy him a pair of pants first before you interrogate me?”

* * *

Bucky knocked on the bathroom door. Steam seeped out from under the door and the shower gushed water full blast. Bucky pressed his ear against the wooden surface. Sometimes Tony hummed when he showered, but if Tony was in there he certainly wasn’t humming now. Bucky frowned and pulled off from the door. He knocked again.

Tony had been in the bathroom for a while now, and while Tony was known for his hour long showers in the morning, but Bucky’s gut churned with concern.

It had to be almost time for Tony to get yanked back to Clint’s side, and Tony was usually pretty good about keeping track of that. Sometimes he got caught up in things and would lose track of time, but he-

Bucky cursed, cutting off his own inner mutterings and opening the door. Steam rolled out of the bathroom and wrapped around Bucky. Bucky squinted into the cloud, barely able to make out objects in the room. The towels were probably completely useless, Bucky spared the annoyed thought before walking into the room. “Tony?” Bucky hollered.

The patter of water hitting the bottom of the shower was the only thing Bucky heard.

Bucky’s stomach knotted then relaxed as he reminded himself of what he’d just been thinking about before he’d entered the bathroom. Tony was probably with Clint.

...and naked.

Bucky went to the shower and shut off the water then hurried to the bedroom where he’d left his cell phone. He sent off a quick text to Clint asking if Tony  was with him. He scrolled through the photos on his phone as he waited for a response from Clint.

He was panicking--he was panicking about Tony. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He cared about Tony, and he could admit that he was growing fonder of Tony by the day, but he never thought he’d be impatiently waiting for Clint to text him about Tony, so he could avoid thinking about-

Clint’s response popped up on Bucky’s phone. Bucky opened the message, his eyes scanning it in milliseconds.

_Yeah & he’s naked. Nat here too. So screwed. _

A mixture of relief, amusement, and concern for how Clint was going to explain Tony’s naked presence to Natasha swirled through Bucky. He felt simultaneously lighter and heavier--an oxymoronic state that he hadn’t thought possible to achieve.

 _He’s a nudist?_ Bucky typed the suggestion and sent it to Clint.

Clint didn’t send a response, which Bucky assumed was because he was dealing with Tony and Natasha, a combination Bucky suspected was more than a handful to deal with.

Bucky pocketed his phone and wandered out of his room and to the kitchen. The cupcakes Tony had been baking in the oven were cooling on the counter while the batch Tony had finished previously had been stacked on a plate, waiting to be frosted. The puddles of batter that had blanketed the kitchen had been cleaned, and the cooking utensils had been washed and returned to their proper places.

Bucky tapped his fingers along the pristine counters as he looked for something else to clean, but he’d done a thorough job of cleaning up Tony’s mess.

He wondered how bad it would look if he went to work even though he’d called in sick.

“Shit.” Bucky closed his eyes and buried his face in his palm against the onslaught of unbidden thoughts and emotions that came hurtling at him like a freight train. He leaned against the counter. The counter’s hard edges pressed into the cradle of his back.

He wished he could tell himself that Tony’s revelation didn’t change things, but no amount of acrobatic reasoning could deceive him into living a comfortable lie. Tony was still flawed, and his past did not excuse his offensive actions, but it did put them in a new light.

It also showed a strength in Tony that Bucky had never seen before. The things Tony must have had to go through--things that Bucky could probably never imagine--would have made a weaker person become the callous and sadistic demon of myth. Instead, Tony was… good. Not perfect, but good, and far kinder than some people Bucky knew.

Certainly better than whoever Tony’s father was.

Something niggled in the back of Bucky’s head. He glanced to the living room where the TV stood across from the couch.

The scene from that morning replayed in his head.

The news report about Howard Stark and his unborn child had set Tony off, yet when Bucky had asked if babies triggered him, Tony had shut down immediately. Perhaps, despite the cold response, babies or unborn children were triggers for Tony, but Bucky’s gut instinct told him differently.

It told him something very different and very illogical. He was dealing with demons and magical deals though, so who was to say what was illogical or impossible? Bucky certainly could not.

Nor could he rid himself of the voice that kept whispering “Howard” whenever he thought about Tony’s father.

The two men looked alike. The same complexion and dark hair. The shape of their faces were different, but something about the features looked similar; Bucky would need a photo of Howard to really compare the two. That didn’t mean they were father and son though. They could just be related, which would be more likely, because at best Howard was only a decade older than Tony, and Tony always talked like he was older than he appeared too.

Even if Bucky factored in the possibility that Howard had made a deal that kept him youthful, wouldn’t someone have noticed? The Stark family had been around for decades now with the public eye constantly on them. Any deal for youth and longevity would-

Bucky stopped his thoughts there. He was getting too wrapped up in theories that held little to no facts.

He just didn’t know what to do. He’d learned something so crucial and important, yet instead of his curiosity being satisfied he was burdened with even more questions and worry for Tony that made his chest ache.

The phone in his pocket was burning, silently begging for him to call someone and ask for their input, but he had made a promise to Tony.

Bucky bit the inside of his cheek.

An image of Steve popped into his head along with a voice that pointed out Steve was Tony’s boyfriend and therefore he deserved to know Tony’s history.

Bucky growled in frustration and shook his head. He knew better than that. If this had been something like Tony’s kiss being capable stealing souls or Tony having a sexually transmitted disease than Bucky would have had the right to tell Steve, but Tony’s past was his own. Bucky had no right to tell Tony’s secret.

Tony had put his trust in him, and he wouldn’t betray it.

Bucky took a deep breath and pushed down his doubts and fears. His eyes fell on the plate of unfrosted cupcakes.

He’d never made frosting before, maybe today was the day to experiment.

At the very least it would give him a distraction.

* * *

“Sorry,” Tony mumbled.

Clint sighed in frustration. He rested his chin in his palm as he stared out the passenger side window. Natasha had been merciful and had agreed to get Tony clothes before interrogating Clint. She’d been pissed though when she’d parked her car and Clint had asked if she could go into the thrift store to buy Tony clothes without him.

Clint didn’t blame her for being furious. First, his roommate had broken into her car, then Clint had refused to explain what was going on, and to top it off he’d asked her to run an errand that he should be doing. He wished he could tell her that there was a magical bond forcing Tony and himself to be in close proximity for the time being, and therefore since Tony could not leave the car without risking being arrested, Clint was trapped in the vehicle too.

“Your friend is probably already burdened with erotic thoughts of me. I know no one can resist me once they’ve seen me naked.”

Clint craned his neck around the passenger seat and glared at Tony in the back seat.

Tony blinked owlishly at Clint. He whistled appreciatively. “Wow, you’re really pissed.” He held up his hands in a placating manner. “I’m sorry. I lost track of time. Trust me, I’m not exactly crazy about being naked in public either. At least here that is. There are some public places that are fine, but your friend’s car? Not so much.”

Clint faced the front of the car.

“Are you giving me the silent treatment?” Tony leaned forward and grasped the shoulders of Clint’s chair. “I told you it was an accident. I’ll help you come up with a good story to convince your friend that I’m just a weirdo.”

“Thanks,” Clint said dryly.

Tony peered over the shoulder of passenger seat to get a better look at Clint’s face. He frowned. “C’mon. What else do you need me to do so you’ll stop being mad at me?”

Clint sighed. He slumped against the side window and blew a hot gust of breath across the glass that fogged it. “I don’t know.”

“I have cupcakes at the apartment. I bet that will help.”

“Or maybe you could stop with all of the secrets.”

Tony didn’t respond.

Clint glanced at Tony. His expression was blank, but his grip on the seat’s shoulders was tight.

Clint shook his head. “Forget it. There’s no point.”

Tony remained quiet. Slowly he peeled himself away from the passenger seat.

The two of them waited in silence for Natasha’s return. When Natasha did so, she tugged open Tony’s door and threw a pair of pants and a plaid shirt at Tony. Without missing a beat, she slammed the door shut then rounded the car to take her spot in the driver’s seat. Tony grumbled as he wrestled on the clothes.

Natasha whirled on Clint, one arm resting across the top of the steering wheel. “Explain.”

“Well, he’s naked. I think that speaks for itself,” Clint responded a lot more defensively than he’d have liked, but his nerves were frayed and he was on edge. It was almost impossible for him to keep his temper out of his voice.

“Clint, I know nudists, and as much as they prefer to go without clothes, they know better than to go out to non-approved public spaces without clothes on. And even if Tony is a nudist, why is he stalking you, and how did he break into my car?”

“He’s a kleptomaniac as well.” Clint offered.

“I’m trying to reform myself, but you’re car is just so sexy and sleek.” Tony grinned flirtatiously at Natasha.

Natasha hit Tony with an unimpressed look. “Do I look like I was born yesterday?”

“Darling, you’re obviously like a fine wine, aged to perfection.”

Natasha pursed her lips and her brow knit. “That… is a backhanded compliment.”

Tony scoffed. “I just called you perfect.”

“And old.” Natasha drummed her nails across the steering wheel. “And you’re distracting me from my questions.” Natasha pinned Clint and Tony down with a look that demanded answers. “Explain. Now.”  

“Clint wracked his brain for a more plausible answer than nudist kleptomaniac, but his brain wasn’t giving him much else.

“I’m a demon that Clint summoned months ago and we are magically bound together,” Tony stated.  “We can spend some time apart, but after a while I get teleported to his side. Unfortunately, I was in the shower when I got yanked to him this time.”

Clint was pretty sure his brain died right then.

“Because demons and magic are real,” Natasha deadpanned.

Tony shrugged. “Why not? And if they are, don’t tell me you can’t see Clint being the type to accidentally summon a demon.”

“True, but your story falls apart, because demons don’t exist.” Natasha glanced at Clint.

Clint was trying to reboot his brain, but the damn thing was fried.

“Here’s a question,” Tony leaned forward so his head poked between the two front seats, “what’s your explanation?”

Natasha quirked an eyebrow at Tony’s inquiry.

Tony was unperturbed by the cold response. “Really. Why do you think I showed up in your car naked? Clint and I just gave you two explanations and you’ve rejected them both, so what is an acceptable answer to you?”

“The truth.”

“I can guarantee you that at least one of the explanations we gave you is the truth.” Tony grinned crookedly.

Natasha eyed him warily. Her gaze drifted questioningly to Clint.

Clint slouched until his head was below the shoulders of his chair. “He’s not lying,” Clint grumbled.

Natasha scrutinized the two for a solid five seconds before her hand lowered to the keys in the ignition. She started the car and twisted in her seat so she was facing the front. “I’m dropping Tony off at the apartment,” she stated as she put on her seatbelt. “Then you and I are going to have another chat,” Natasha aimed at Clint.

Clint groaned and threw his head back. “Do we have to?”

“Yes.”


	3. Chapter 3

Clint watched Tony stop just outside of the apartment. Like a little kid unsure if they were going into the right building, Tony turned and looked back at Clint, who was in Natasha’s car. Tony’s eyes were wide with worry and his lips a thin line. For a moment he just looked back at Clint. When Clint did nothing more than glance at Tony, Tony opened the door. He gave Clint a wave before he went inside the building.

Clint briefly wondered if Tony was going to just stand behind the door and wait for him. The two of them had been in proximity for a while, so Tony shouldn’t be transported back to Clint’s side right away. However, Clint and Tony both knew that the longer they stayed together before separating the longer the could be apart.

“You two done with the puppy dog stares?” Natasha asked, her tone cold enough to freeze Hell (although, Tony would probably disagree with the assessment).

Clint slouched. He closed his eyes and braced himself for Natasha’s fury. “I don’t know what to say.”

“I don’t either, Clint.” Natasha flung her hand up in an angry gesture then dropped it back on the steering wheel. “It’s not like you to keep secrets from me.”

“Well, that isn’t entirely true,” Clint said dryly. He knew it wasn’t the response Natasha wanted to hear, but at that moment he just couldn’t bring himself to care. “I tell you a lot of things, but not everything; otherwise, you’d know a whole lot of personal things about Steve and Bucky.”  

Natasha didn’t say anything as she absorbed Clint’s argument and took it apart. “Fair point, but Tony is not your boyfriend, and he just broke into my car. Lines have been crossed, Clint. I have the right know how and why he got into my car.” Natasha took a moment to scrutinize Clint. “Earlier you said, you’d already told me the truth.”

Clint nodded.

“So Tony is a kleptomaniac and a nudist?”

Clint didn’t say or do anything.

Natasha’s mouth scrunched with befuddlement. Her fingers played along the top of the steering wheel then settled. She leaned back in her chair and glared out the front window of the car.

“So why did he follow us?”

The question caught Clint off guard, and pulled him out of his inner thoughts. He hadn’t come up with an excuse for why Tony had been following them. “He…” Clint could lie and say Tony was unstable, but that would cause Natasha to worry. She’d insist that Clint get a new roommate for the safety of himself and his boyfriends. Clint doubted he could convince her that Tony was harmless if he went down that route. So he needed something that sounded plausible but made Tony come off as impulsive and perhaps stupid. Something like…

“Honestly, it was probably some stupid prank,” Clint answered.

“A prank?” Natasha did not hide her disbelief.

Clint shook his head and threw up his hands. “I don’t know! I love Tony, but he gets these ideas in his head sometimes and he just won’t let them go. When I mentioned I was going to see you today, he said he wanted to meet you. He was really bummed out when I told him no. Then he showed up at the bistro, and I just thought he was being stubborn and a bit of a jerk. I had no idea he was going to strip and break into your car.”

“How does breaking into my car count as a prank?”

Clint rolled his eyes and feigned exasperation. “He probably thought it’d be a bit of revenge, because of the number of times he’s caught, Steve, Bucky, and me naked.”

Natasha did not look pleased. In fact, she looked worried, which meant Clint’s attempts to paint Tony as harmless had failed.

“I’ll talk to him,” Clint promised.

Natasha frowned. Her hand went to the key in the ignition. She turned on the battery. The car’s radio interrupted the silence between them. “I’m disappointed in you, Clint. You’re lying.”

Clint’s heart broke. “Well, it’s like Tony said, one of the two stories is true. That isn’t a lie.”

“So you want me to believe demons exist, and that Tony is one of them?”

“I can bring Tony back in here and he can do his demon shtick for you if that is what you want,” Clint offered.

Natasha didn’t say anything.

“He’s right over there.” Clint gestured to the apartment building. “Just tell me to go get him.”

He could do it. He didn’t even need Natasha’s permission to go get Tony; however, even knowing that, he wanted her to ask him. It was important to know that she was really open to the idea of Tony being a demon, and not just tolerating whatever excuse Clint threw at her. He didn’t want Tony to put on a show and then Natasha to dismiss it. Maybe she’d do that anyway even if she did ask for Clint to bring out Tony, but at least if she asked he could have hope.

Natasha twisted the car key and the engine roared to life. “I’m going home.”

The three words shattered Clint’s heart.

A prickly lump formed in Clint’s throat, barricading his words within himself.

Clint nodded. He fumbled as he undid his seatbelt. The door didn’t want to open properly and it almost slammed on him as he stepped out of the vehicle. He caught the door and held it until he was safely out. He hesitated to shut it though without at least trying to say something. Anything.

Clint forced a smile as he bent and peered into the car. “Until next time.” The words had hurt to speak; the lump in his throat had stabbed at and scraped against the words.

Natasha gave a nod and put her car in reverse.

It took all of Clint’s willpower to keep his smile up as he shut the door.

Natasha peeled out of the parking spot without glancing at Clint once.

And Clint stood there smiling and waving until she was completely out of sight.

The trek to his apartment felt long and arduous despite being at the door within a few minutes.

“The frosting is pretty good.” Tony stood in the kitchen with Bucky. He was holding a cupcake and licking his lips as he spoke. “A little on the liquid side, but not bad for a first try. Thanks, Bucky.”

Bucky’s shoulders were bunched and he kept shifting his weight. “Thanks.”

Clint headed toward the bedroom.

“Oh, Clint. I thought I heard someone come in,” Bucky hollered across the apartment.

Clint flinched. He just wanted to be alone for a little bit.

“Tony made cupcakes. You should try some.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Tony added. “Bucky made the frosting.”

Clint looked over his shoulder at the duo. He leaned a little to the side so he could see Bucky and Tony in kitchen from his spot. Tony looked like he was back to his usual happy self, whereas Bucky was forcefully wearing a smile.

Tony had probably said or done something to irritate Bucky, and Bucky was trying restrain himself from lashing out or something.

A good boyfriend would step in and act as a buffer between Bucky and Tony, but at that moment, Clint just didn’t have the strength. His best friend and soul mate was pissed at him, Tony—his other best friend—was keeping secrets from him, and everything he did just seemed to blow up in his face. He was tired and he was done.

“I’ll try a few later. I’m going to take a nap.” Clint headed into the bedroom. He kicked off his socks and shoes then took off his jeans.

He’d just flopped on the bed when Bucky walked in and shut the door behind him. Bucky raised one brow, and with that simple action he managed to silently inquire about everything that was bothering Clint.

Clint groaned and hugged his pillow to his face. “I don’t want to talk.”

“Can’t say I blame you. I’m guessing Natasha didn’t buy whatever lie you told her about Tony.” Bucky sat on the foot of the bed. He patted Clint’s leg. “Sounds like everyone is having a crappy day, except maybe Steve. We’ll see.”

“You’ve been home today. What could have gone wrong while you were here?” Clint grumbled into his pillow.

Bucky didn’t answer. There was a moment of silence then Bucky flopped down next to Clint on the bed. “This day sucks.”

Clint nodded. He grabbed Bucky’s arm and tucked it under his head to use as a second pillow.

There was a knock on the door.

“Want something, Tony?” Bucky raised his voice just enough to be heard in the hallway.

Tony opened the door and poked his head into the room. “I don’t think I can be away from Clint for a full two hours, but if you’d like, I could probably leave the apartment for fifteen minutes or more. I could get you something from the store.”

Clint groaned and slapped the side of the bed that belonged to Steve. “Just get over here, jerk.”

Tony frowned at the insult, but didn’t argue as he climbed onto the bed.

Tony sat up so perfectly straight and stiff that he looked so abominably unnatural that Clint couldn’t stop himself from snorting in mild amusement. He seized Tony’s arm and yanked Tony down into the bed.

Tony squawked in surprise as Clint yanked him into a trapping embrace that included one of Clint’s legs thrown over Tony’s. The two were face to face, and Tony looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

Clint huffed. “How do you do it?”

“You’re going to have to be a little more exact with your question. There are a lot of things that I do.” Tony spoke with confidence but his questioning, wide eyes gave away his uncertainty.

“How can you stand to keep so many secrets? I just had to lie to my best friend, and I hated it. Hell, I ended up telling her the truth and she still wouldn’t believe me, and I feel like such crap.”

Bucky rolled over behind Clint. He didn’t say anything, but the light press of a kiss to the back of Clint’s neck and the brush of fingers along Clint’s hip were just the right amount of comfort.

Tony tried to look away from Clint, but Clint grabbed one of Tony’s hands and squeezed it. The contact glued Tony’s gaze to Clint’s.

“You get used to it after a while,” Tony answered. “You also start to realize that it’s usually better to keep some things a secret.”

“I guess I’m just not like that,” Clint responded. He squeezed Tony’s hand again. “You know, Tony, I can’t even be mad at Natasha for not believing in me—for being pissed because I tried to lie to her, because I’m the same way. After everything you and I have been through, I would have thought we’d be past secrets.”

Hurt and sympathy came over Tony’s face. “I’ve been around for a while, Clint. I have a lot of secrets and there are many things that I’ve done that I regret now.”

“That regret is the important part though,” Bucky said, startling Tony and Clint.

Bucky pushed himself up, pulling his arm out from under Clint in the process. “I’m not saying Clint—or whoever you chose to open to—is going to be okay with everything you’ve ever done, but…” Bucky bit his bottom lip in frustration. “Forget it. My head is a mess right now.” Bucky flopped back down onto the mattress.

Clint reached behind himself and rubbed Bucky’s thigh in comfort and gratitude.

“I get that there is a certain amount of comfort involved and you have your right to your secrets, but when you push me away like you did today,” Clint paused, “well, you saw what happened.”

Tony nodded then the next thing Clint knew, Tony’s arms were around his neck and Tony was hugging Clint like it was the last time they’d see each other. “I’m not going to lie, and swear to you that I’m suddenly going to tell you every secret I have, but I promise, Clint, even when I’m pushing you away or acting aloof or just being a dick at times, I care about you more than you know.”

Tony pulled back and grinned. “I even care about Bucky, who abuses me so ruthlessly.”

“Hey!” Bucky threw his legs into the pile of limbs the three were making and kicked Tony.

“Do you see this?” Tony gestured at Bucky’s leg.

Clint snickered.

“What did I just walk in on?” Steve’s voice came from the doorway.

Clint, Bucky, and Tony all looked up from the bed to see Steve with his tie undone around his neck and his shirt collar popped open. He held a cupcake from the kitchen.

“Steve!” Tony threw out one arm in invitation. “Join your boyfriends on the bed!”

“Are we all dating Tony now?” Steve asked.

“No.” Clint shrugged. “We’re all just having a shitty day.”

“Clint was the one who dragged Tony onto the bed,” Bucky added.

“You say that like I broke some rule.”

Steve pouted. “I haven’t gotten to drag Tony onto any bed yet, and we’re dating.”

Clint stuck out his tongue at Steve. “Well, aren’t you having a terrible day now too?”

Steve nodded. He went over to the bed and set the cupcake on the nightstand. “I guess I have no choice but to join you three then.” Steve did just that. He spooned Tony from behind and wound his arm around Tony’s waist.

Tony hummed in contentedness. “This is nice.”

“It doesn’t suck,” Bucky stated.

Clint chuckled. He twisted around and grabbed Bucky’s arm. He maneuvered Bucky so he spooned Clint.

“So is this what we’re going to to do from now on when we have a bad day?” Steve asked.

Clint made a noncommittal sound. His fingers gripped the edges of Tony’s sleeve. He shut his eyes and relaxed against Bucky. “Don’t know. Just want to take a nap and forget about this day for a little bit.”

“Someone is going to have to make dinner,” Bucky said.

“Pizza?” Tony suggested.

Steve made a sound of agreement.

That was the last thing Clint heard before he drifted off to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

There were fifteen minutes left of the day’s lecture, but Clint was already gathering his textbook and notepad into his backpack. He tried to be as quiet as possible as he prepared for an early departure, but he felt the students sitting next to him tense just a tad at his unexpected movements and glance at him. Clint ignored them, knowing their curiosity would soon fade.

He zipped his bag shut then flicked his gaze to the front of the room. The professor droned on, but caught Clint’s eyes and gave a minute nod. Clint had informed his professor he’d be leaving a few minutes early so he could get to his job on time. She had given him the standard reminder about the importance of attending class before telling him what chapters to read and what assignments would be due next week.

With a nod of his own, Clint stood up and exited the classroom, drawing more attention to himself. He shut the door gently behind him, so as not to cause a racket. Once the door was shut he exhaled loudly.

“You’re acting like you just had to disable a bomb.” Tony lounged against the wall. His arms were crossed over his chest and he wore a pair of expensive sunglasses. “So did I miss anything interesting today?”

“Nah. Mostly just battles and the spread of religion through the region. None of the juicy stuff.”

“Battles can be interesting,” Tony countered.

“The details of battles can be interesting. Right now we’re just doing an overview. Next class should be more entertaining. That’s when we get into the details.” Clint stretched his arms over his head and shifted his hips until he felt the muscles in his spine loosen.

Tony hummed in consideration. “Then I suppose that’s one I will schedule to sit in on.”

“I wish I could schedule what classes to sit in on,” Clint grumbled. “Where were you today? Normally your my shadow in class. I actually felt a little lonely without you.”

“Aw.” Tony put a fist over his heart. “That’s so sweet.”

He reached into his pocket for his cell phone as he headed toward the student parking lot and checked the time. It would take two minutes to cross the campus and get to the lot, and another five trek through the lot to his bus stop. He should have just enough time. “I’m happy you're happy, but you didn’t answer my question.”

“Excellent detectiving, Hardy boy. If you must know, I was looking into a wonderful business opportunity. Nothing to with demons or souls. It might have to do with cats though, if I have my way.”

The mental image Tony working as a cashier popped into Clint’s head. “You’re looking for a job?”

“Personally I don’t consider it a job. More of a hobby, if I am being honest.”

Clint had so many questions. “And it involves cats?”

Clint’s cellphone vibrated. He looked down at the phone’s screen and stopped walking.

A text message from Natasha had popped up. She wanted to know if he was out of class.

Tony leaned over Clint’s shoulder to read, but Clint lightly pushed him away.

Clint’s thumb hovered over his keyboard. His brain screamed at him to reply yes, but doubts prodded him.

Why was Natasha suddenly texting him? Was she still mad? She couldn’t be if she was talking to him, right? Or was this the prelude to her chewing him out again for lying to her?

Clint wouldn’t get his answers by staring at his phone all day.

Clint typed, “Yes” then took a deep breath to quell his nerves.

His phone vibrated with a call from Natasha.

Clint hesitated only for a second before answering. “Hi.”

“So where are you now on campus?” Natasha asked.

“Huh? Why are you asking?”

“Because I’m here, and I was hoping we could talk face to face.”

“I’m kind of on my way to work. Also, Tony’s here.”

“I’ll give you a ride. I’m in the student parking lot.”

Clint bit the inside of his cheek.Trepidation roiled in his stomach. He wasn’t prepared for this confrontation, but if he avoided Natasha now he might never see her again. He wasn’t going to lose his best friend just because he was scared.

“All right, but we gotta be quick. See you in a minute.” Clint hung up and turned to Tony. “Parking lot. Natasha.”

“She’s here?” Tony asked. “Do you want me to hide?”

Clint shook his head. “She’s expecting you. Come on, let’s go.”

The walk to the student parking felt like it took twice as long, and the sight of Natasha standing in front of it and waiting for him made him Clint’s stomach turn nauseating cartwheels. He had no idea how this conversation was going to go.

“Hey, Stranger.” Clint held open his arms for a hug as he approached Natasha.

Much to his relief, Natasha crossed the distance between them and hugged him. “It hasn’t been that long. Just a couple of days.”

“Feels like forever.” Clint let Natasha go and took a step back. He couldn’t quite believe she was really there. “Don’t you usually have work?”

Natasha nodded. “I do, but this felt too important to say over the phone, and with our schedules there’s never a good time for a meet up.” Natasha’s eyes flicked over to Tony, who stood a safe distance behind Clint. “Hi, Tony.”

“Hi,” Tony respond cordially, his usual enthusiasm in check.

“You don’t look like a demon,” Natasha stated.

Tony grinned. “I left my horns and pitchfork at home.”

Natasha shook her head, whether in exasperation or something else, Clint could not tell. Natasha on a normal day could be a challenge to read. After their fight, Clint wasn’t sure how well he could trust his instincts when it came to picking up on her thoughts and feelings.

“Listen,” Natasha gestured at Tony and Clint. “I don’t know what all this is. I don’t even know what is going on, which is frustrating. I _do know_ that you wouldn’t lie to me without a reason, and if you were going to do it you would come up with something better. This whole demon thing is crazy, but I can’t fathom why you would even try to tell me something so absurd unless it was true.”

Hope went off like a firework in Clint’s chest. “You believe me?”

“I didn’t say that,” Natasha corrected quickly. “I just can’t think of a reason why you would make up the demon thing, so…” Natasha took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “Prove it to me.” Natasha turned her attention to Tony. She gave him a little nod with a hint of attitude. “If you think you can prove it.”

Tony returned the gesture. “Easy enough. I would prefer somewhere private, and I believe you promised Clint a ride to work, so let’s go to your car”

Natasha gave Tony a dubious look.

Tony was not amused. “My clothes will be on the whole time.”

Natasha did not appear convinced, but she said, “All right.” She then pivoted and strutted through the parking lot.

Tony moved to follow, but Clint grabbed him by the arm to stop him. “Are you sure about this? I told her you’d show her, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“As long as you don’t think she’ll try to kill me once she finds out, then it’s fine, Clint.” Tony wrapped his arm around Clint’s shoulders and hugged him. “Remember what I said a few days ago? I care about you. Showing Natasha that I’m a demon is one of the easiest things I can do for you.”

Clint’s heart lurched in a way that it hadn’t since… well, since he’d started falling for Bucky and Steve.

The realization gave Clint pause.

Tony withdrew his arm and patted on Clint on the shoulder. “Better hurry up. We might just get you to work on time.”

Clint nodded numbly, following Tony.

He had to have imagined that reaction, or maybe he was projecting? Either way, Clint didn’t have time to mull it over. He had Natasha and work to deal with. Things like a crush on Tony could be analyzed later.

Natasha opened the passenger doors for Tony and Clint to slide into. Tony took his spot in the back seat, leaving the front seat for Clint. Once the two of them were inside, Natasha shut the doors and went to the driver’s seat. She twisted around in her chair and met Tony with a challenging look.

Tony smiled confidently. He held up his hand toward Natasha. “May I?” He nodded at her shoulder.

“As long as you aren’t planning to set me on fire or anything like that,” Natasha answered.

“Nothing like that. You might feel a little queasy though.” Tony touched her shoulder then blew Clint a kiss. “She might need a few minutes to process before I bring her back.”

“What did you-” Natasha’s sentence was cut off.

One moment Tony and Natasha had been sitting in the car, and the next the two had vanished.

Anxiety raced like electricity through Clint’s nerves. He looked at his backpack, which he had placed on the floor at his feet, and considered getting started on his homework while he waited. He quickly dismissed the thought then pulled out his phone. He waited for the minute to pass, which took forever.

“I should have gotten coffee or one of those stress balls.” Clint sighed forlornly as a thought occurred to him. “I could have gotten pizza.” Yes, it would have been overly greasy and almost tasteless cafeteria pizza, but at least it would have been pizza.

“Umph!” The car horn blared as Natasha’s back slammed into it.

Clint shouted as Natasha’s leg hit him in the face.

“You get back here!” Natasha threw herself at the back of driver’s seat and reached for Tony with a necklace.

Natasha kicked Clint in the face. Clint cried out in pain.

“Stop! You’re beating up your best friend now!” Tony cried.

“Just let me see if this burns you!” Natasha screamed as she wrestled between the fronts seats and into the back of the car.

Tony threw open the back door and scrambled out of the car. He slammed the door.

The door handle jangled and Natasha grunted as she yanked on it. The door did not open though.

Tony, whose face and shirt were soaked did the hand motion for “I’m watching you” at Natasha.

“What the hell!” Clint shouted.

“I just want to see what hurts him and find out how I can kill him,” Natasha stated as if she had not just been acting like a crazy person a second ago.

Clint twisted in his chair so he could speak to Natasha face to face. “You are not killing my roommate.”

“I didn’t say I was going to kill him. I want to know _how_ I can kill him.” Natasha took the necklace she had been trying to put on Tony and placed it around her neck. It was a cross.  

“Why would you need to know that if you don’t want to kill him?”

“Science,” Natasha answered.

Tony knocked on  Clint’s window. “Not that I agree with what she tried to do, but if I am being honest, I agree with her motivation.”

Clint raised a silencing finger at Tony. “If you are ever a witness to a crime, you do not get to testify.” Clint whirled on Natasha. “Also, why is my roommate wet?”

Natasha shrugged then climbed into the front seat. Her elbow came close to smacking Clint in the face, but after what had happened earlier, Clint was more than ready to dodge. Natasha sighed as she plopped into her chair. “I brought a flask of holy water, just in case you were telling the truth.”

“It wasn’t that holy,” Tony hollered through the window.

And thank everything good in the world that it hadn’t been, Clint thought to himself. “Natasha, I love you, but if you go after Tony like that again, I…” Clint trailed off with a shake of his head. He didn’t want to end his friendship with Natasha, but what she had just done had been messed up.

“Listen, if demons are out there, then I want to know how to fight them,” Natasha said.

“You’re not Batman, Natasha.”

“You know, there’s Wonder Woman.”

“Don’t lie to yourself, Natasha. You’re Cat Woman. Possibly Poison Ivy.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “I want to know how to fight demons, because if one exists more exist, and there’s a good chance that things other than demons exist. You do realize how much danger Tony brings into your life, right?”

“Wow. You sound just like Bucky. You two could have been an amazing couple.”

Natasha punched Clint’s arm.

“Ow.” Clint rubbed the tender spot.

“Deserved it.”

“You just tried to murder my roommate for an experiment.”

Natasha looked away from Clint.

“You know, Clint is going to be late for work if you two don’t start going,” Tony said through the glass.

Natasha feinted a lunge at Tony, and Tony jumped back.

Natasha nodded then put her car key in the ignition. “Okay. I won’t experiment on him any more, but only because I have proven my dominance to him.”

Clint snorted at she turned on the engine. “That was such a jackass move.”

“I didn’t try to murder him,” Natasha said sweetly as she backed out of her parking spot. Tony gave her a wide berth as the vehicle moved, then teleported away.

“You really set the bar high for yourself, don’t you?” Clint asked.

“Very high.”

Clint chuckled, then said seriously, “I swear if you go after my roommate again, I will kick your ass.”

Natasha eyed Clint as she merged onto the road. “Doubtful, but I recognize the sentiment.”

“Natasha,” Clint warned.

“I promise.” Natasha continued to eye Clint. She frowned. “Is he just your roommate though?”

“He’s dating Steve.”

Natasha gave a small nod in acknowledgement. “Do you want to date him too?”

Clint thought about his answer. “I need to wait a little while longer before I’ll know the answer to that.”

Natasha gave a thoughtful hum.

Clint exhaled and rubbed his cheek in contemplation. A second later, he smiled at Natasha. “I guess this means you believe me now.”

Natasha hit Clint with a deadpan stare. “Shut up.”


End file.
